Repairs underway at Rafah crossing as it prepares to reopen for aid deliveries to Gaza

Repairs are underway on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, with plans for its reopening within days to facilitate increased aid deliveries to Gaza, a senior Egyptian official said Tuesday.

The crossing sustained significant damage during a 15-month-long Israeli offensive supported by the US which concluded with a ceasefire on Sunday.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US, stipulates that the crossing will reopen on the seventh day of its implementation, scheduled for this Saturday.

North Sinai Governor Major General Khaled Mogahed inspected the Rafah crossing on Tuesday and told the local Al-Watan newspaper: “The Rafah border crossing will open from both sides in the coming days, allowing for greater aid access.”

The ceasefire agreement also mandates the daily entry of 600 aid trucks into Gaza and outlines a phased framework for further negotiations between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.

Israel has imposed a blockade on the territory for 18 years, leaving the region in dire humanitarian conditions, with critical shortages of food, water and medicine.

Since May 24, aid has primarily entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after Israeli forces gained control of Rafah, damaging parts of it and setting it ablaze during operations. The current repairs aim to enable the crossing's reopening and ensure smoother humanitarian access.

The ongoing ceasefire, currently in its first 42-day phase, includes prisoner exchanges and further negotiations for subsequent phases.

Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and more than 110,700 injured in Israel's war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.